Knitting accessory and container



P 4, 1962 A. v. TRACY 3,052,391

KNITTING ACCESSORY AND CONTAINER Filed April 11, 1960 IN VEN TOR.

ABBIE TRACY Patented Sept. 4, 1962 3,052,391 KNITTlNG ACCESSQRY AND QIONTAINER Abbie V. Tracy, Les Angeies, Calif, assignor of onetenth to Gadgetf-The-Month Ciub, inn, North Hollywood, Calih, a corporation of California Filed Apr. 11, 19%, Ser. No. 21,243 1 Claim. (til. 223-1537) The present invention consists of a knitting accessory and container for knitting equipment and materials such as needles, yarn, and the like, adapted to store same, together with any partially knitted articles, therein during non-use periods and, during use periods, to act as a knitting accessory for holding a quantity of yarn, such as a skein of yarn, or the like, and for effectively feeding a free end thereof to a knitter sitting immediately adjacent to the open top of the accessory.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a knitting accessory and container of the character referred to above, which is of extremely simple, cheap, foolproof construction such as to be conducive to widespread use of the device.

Further objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a careful study hereof.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, one exemplary embodiment is illustrated in the hereinbelow-described figures of the accompanying singie drawing sheet and is described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary oblique view of one illustrative embodiment of the present invention with the closure means therefor shown in partially open position and with a lower right hand portion of the container side wall portion broken away to show interior construction of the device.

FIG. 2 is a larger-scale vertical sectional View taken in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1 and shows the closure means in solid lines in somewhat lower and more nearly closed position than in FIG. 1. This view also shows, in fragmentary broken line form, the normal position of the closure means when completely open.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, partially broken-away, oblique view illustrating the interior construction of the device.

'FIG. 4 is a larger-scale, fragmentary, exploded view illustrating the hinge means mounting the closure means across the top of the cylindrical container.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, perspective view, partially broken away, illustrating the detail of the specific type of controllably lockable locking means shown in the drawings for fastening the closure means across the open top of the cylindrical container.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 6-6 of FIG. 2 and illustrates the detail of the yarn-passage aperture-defining portion of the inner wall means positioned between the yarn-holding chamber means and the inner cylindrical I yarn-egress chamber means.

Referring to the figures for exemplary purposes, one illustrative embodiment of the invention takes a typical exemplary form wherein it comprises a hollow substantially cylindrical container, indicated generally at It}, preferably made of rigid thin-sheet material such as molded plastic, although it may be made of sheet metal, fiberboard, chipboard, paperboard, wood composition products, or any other suitable material, having a circular open top 11, a substantially circular disc-shaped closed bottom 12, and a substantially cylindrical interconnecting container side wall portion 13. These are preferably made of integral construction, although not specifically so limited. In the speciiic example illustrated, the container 10 also includes an inner substantially cylindrical wall 14 dividing the hollow interior of the container 10 into the two outer partially annular yarn holding chamber means 15 (each having an open top) and inner cylindrical yarnegress chamber means 16 (having an open top), with said inner wall means 14 being provided with a yarn-passage aperture-defining portion 17 adjacent each of said yarnholding chamber portions 15 for passing the free end, such as is shown at 18, of a skein or quantity of yarn, such as is shown at Y, from the yarn-holding chamber 15 through said yarn-passage aperture-defining portion 17, through the egress chamber means 16 and upwardly out through the open top thereof to a knitting region (not shown) for use by a knitter using the device.

It will readily be understood that the arrangement is such that the skein of yarn Y is firmly held in the yarnholding chamber 15 in a manner such that the proper back tension will be applied to the free end 18 of the yarn being used by the knitter in knitting some object, thus greatly facilitating the knitting operation. It should also be noted that this is true in re the other skein of yarn Y carried in the other yarn holding chamber 15. It should be noted that the device may have any desired number of such yarn-holding chambers and yarn-passage aperturedefining portions connected with the yarn egress chamber 16.

it should further be noted that the outer side Wall means 13 and the inner wall means 14 additionally define within the container it a needle chamber means, indicated generally at 19, of partially annular shape as seen in plan view, positioned between a part of the yarn-egress chamher 16 and a part of the container side wall portion 13. The needle chamber means 19 is of a vertical height between the container bottom wall 12 and the wall 20* at the top of the needle chamber 19 greater than. the maximum length of the conventional knitting needles, such as those at 21, whereby each of the knitting needles 21 may have its shaft portion inserted downwardly through any of the plurality of apertures 22 carried by the top wall 26 of the needle chamber means 19, with the buttons 23 at the top end of each of the knitting needles 21 being larger than the apertures 22. and thereby supporting the knitting needles with their tips 24- positioned above the container bottom wall 12. It should be noted that each of the apertures 22 is normally smaller in diameter than the minimum diameter of a conventional knitting needle end button 23 and is normally larger in diameter than the maximum diameter of a conventional knitting needle shaft 21.

The open top 11 of the container 10 is provided with closure means, indicated generally at 2,5, hinged thereto by means of hinge means, indicated generally at 26, and adapted to be fastened in closed position across the open top of the open top it by controllably lockable locking means, indicated generally at 27.

The hinge means 26, as best shown in FIG. 4, comprises a rearwardly projecting portion 23 provided with a transverse aperture 29 adapted to be positioned between spaced ears St in alignment with apertures 31 carried thereby and then pivotally fastened together by the hinge pin means 32.

The locking means, indicated generally at 27, as best shown in PEG. 5, comprises a projecting portion 33 hingedly carrying a locking element 34, which is centrally slotted as indicated at 35, and cooperable with a rotating member 35 carrying a retaining bar 37 whereby the retaining bar 37 can be rotated until it is in vertical alignment with a slot 35, which will allow the fastening element 34 to be locked or unlocked with respect thereto. On the other hand, when the fastening bar 37 is rotated into the transverse position shown in FIG. 5, the locking element 34 is tightly locked in the manner shown fragmentarily in FIG. 5.

it should be noted that various knitting and/or sewing accessory objects or equipment can be carried on the hook members 38 positioned within the yarn egress chamber means 16 or, if desired, free ends 18 of the yarn may be passed therearound to cause the hook 38 to act as a sort of running guide member for the free end 18 of the yarn.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.

I claim:

A knitting accessory and container for knitting equipment and materials, comprising: a hollow substantially cylindrical container of rigid thin-sheet material having a circular open top, a substantially disc-shaped closed bottom, and a substantially cylindrical interconnecting container side wall portion; inner wall means of rigid thinsheet material dividing the hollow interior of the container into outer partially annular yarn-holding chamber means having an open top and comprising at least two yarn-holding oharnber portions, and inner cylindrical yarnegress chamber means having an open top, with said wall means adjacent each of said yarn-holding chamber portions being provided with a yarn-passage-aperture-defining portion for passing the free end of a skein of yarn from the yarn-holding chamber means through said yarn-egress chamber means and upwardly out of said open top thereof to a knitting region for use in knitting an article, closure means provided with hinge means for controllably openably engaging and closing the open top of the container; and controllably lockable locking means interconnecting said closure means and said container at a location opposite said hinge means; said wall means additionally defining within the hollow interior of said container a needle chamber means, of partially annular shape, between a part of said yarn-egress chamber means and apart of said side wall portion, and of a vertical height greater than the maximum length of conventional knitting needles and having a top wall provided with a plurality of vertical hole-defining means defining a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical holes therethrough larger in diameter than the maximum diameter of conventional knitting needle shafts and smaller in diameter than the minimum diameter of conventional knitting needle and buttons for removably receiving and supporting a plurality of knitting needles.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 90,608 Timby May 25, 1869 1,788,804 Murrish Jan. 13, 1931 1,794,776 Klatt Mar. 3, 1931 1,960,747 Marks May 29, 1934 2,169,297 Smith Aug. 15, 1939 2,585,476 Lerner et al Feb. 12, 1952 2,923,451 Hokerk Feb. 2, 1960 

